Are you passionate about literature that celebrates and explores the LGBTQ+ community? Are you looking for a safe and welcoming space to discuss thought-provoking books while connecting with like-minded individuals? Look no further! We are thrilled to announce the launch of our LGBTQ+ Book Group at York Theatre Royal.
When and where will the LGBTQ+ Book Group take place?
The LGBTQ+ Book Group will meet monthly at the York Theatre Royal 7pm -8.30pm on the second Tuesday of each month. The theatre will provide an inviting atmosphere for open discussions and a cosy setting to delve into the captivating world of LGBTQ+ literature. We’ll meet by the downstairs bar to grab a drink, before heading next door for the discussion.
What types of books will we read?
Our book selections will be diverse, reflecting the wide spectrum of LGBTQ+ experiences. We believe in exploring contemporary fiction, queer classics, memoirs, and young adult novels. All of our selections will be written by Queer authors. By blending different genres, we aim to create a well-rounded reading experience that will engage, inspire, and challenge our members. See the upcoming books at the bottom of this page.
Is there a prerequisite for joining?
Absolutely not! We welcome all over 18s who shares an interest in LGBTQ+ literature, regardless of their background or previous knowledge. Whether you are an avid reader or new to LGBTQ+ books, our group is an inclusive space where everyone’s perspectives are valued and celebrated.
What can you expect from the LGBTQ+ Book Group?
Beyond reading and discussing exceptional books, our book group offers a unique opportunity to engage with the rich tapestry of the queer literary canon. You’ll have the chance to explore ground-breaking works, discover new authors, and expand your understanding of LGBTQ+ literature. Additionally, this group fosters a sense of community by providing a platform to form meaningful connections, create new friendships, and build relationships within York’s LGBTQ+ community.
How can you get involved?
Joining the LGBTQ+ Book Group is easy, just book for each session you plan to attend! We encourage early booking to secure your spot, as spaces may be limited. Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive updates on upcoming book selections, meeting dates, and any additional events or guest speakers we may have. It’s also completely free! You just need to read the book (you can purchase this from our local LGBTQ+ bookshop Portal, or borrow a copy from York Library)
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to explore captivating LGBTQ+ literature and connect with like-minded individuals. Join us at York Theatre Royal’s LGBTQ+ Book Group and embark on a literary journey that celebrates the beauty and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. We can’t wait to meet you!
JULY – Skin by Kerry Andrews
London, 1985. Joe, father to 11-year-old Matty, has disappeared, and nobody will explain where he’s gone or why.
In the long, hot summer that follows, Matty’s hunt for Joe leads to the ponds at Hampstead Heath. Beneath the water, there is a new kind of freedom. Above the water, a welcoming community of men offer refuge from an increasingly rocky home life.
Fourteen years later, a new revelation sees Matty set off alone in a campervan, driving westwards through Ireland, swimming its wild loughs and following the scant clues left behind about Joe. The trip takes a dangerous turn, and Matty is forced to rely on the kindness of strangers. But safety comes at a price, and with desire and fear running high, the journey turns into an explosive, heart-rending reckoning with the past.
AUGUST – Frog Music by Emma Donoghue
San Francisco, 1876: a stifling heat wave and smallpox epidemic have engulfed the City.
Deep in the streets of Chinatown live three former stars of the Parisian circus: Blanche, now an exotic dancer at the House of Mirrors, her lover Arthur and his companion Ernest.
When an eccentric outsider joins their little circle, secrets unravel, changing everything and leaving one of them dead.
Frog Music, inspired by true events, is an evocative novel of intrigue and murder: elegant, erotic and witty.
SEPTEMBER – The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn’t expecting much. The ship, which has seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.
But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptillian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life on board is chaotic, but more or less peaceful – exactly what Rosemary wants.
Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They’ll earn enough money to live comfortably for years… if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful.
But Rosemary isn’t the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed.
OCTOBER – A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock
Mexican Gothic meets The Lie Tree by way of Oscar Wilde and Mary Shelley in this delightfully witty horror debut. A captivating tale of two Victorian gentlemen hiding their relationship away in a botanical garden who embark on a Frankenstein-style experiment with unexpected consequences.
It is an unusual thing, to live in a botanical garden. But Simon and Gregor are an unusual pair of gentlemen. Hidden away in their glass sanctuary from the disapproving tattle of Victorian London, they are free to follow their own interests without interference. For Simon, this means long hours in the dark basement workshop, working his taxidermical art. Gregor’s business is exotic plants – lucrative, but harmless enough. Until his latest acquisition, a strange fungus which shows signs of intellect beyond any plant he’s seen, inspires him to attempt a masterwork: true intelligent life from plant matter.
Driven by the glory he’ll earn from the Royal Horticultural Society for such an achievement, Gregor ignores the flaws in his plan: that intelligence cannot be controlled; that plants cannot be reasoned with; and that the only way his plant-beast will flourish is if he uses a recently deceased corpse for the substrate.
The experiment – or Chloe, as she is named – outstrips even Gregor’s expectations, entangling their strange household. But as Gregor’s experiment flourishes, he wilts under the cost of keeping it hidden from jealous eyes. The mycelium grows apace in this sultry greenhouse. But who is cultivating whom?
Told with wit and warmth, this is an extraordinary tale of family, fungus and more than a dash of bloody revenge from an exciting new voice in queer horror.
